Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that New Yorkers in priority group 1b can now begin scheduling appointments with individual providers, including pharmacies, local health departments and hospitals, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Those now eligible to receive the vaccine include individuals aged 75 and over, first responders, public security officers, teachers and other school staff; face-to-face university teachers, daycare workers, public-facing grocery workers, public transport workers and individuals who live and work in homeless shelters. Eligibility determinations and a list of nearby providers where appointments can be scheduled can be made via New York’s new ‘Am I Eligible’ app. New Yorkers can start calling the New York State Vaccination Hotline at 4 pm on Monday, January 11: 1-833 -NYS-4VAX (1-833-697-4829).
Since the federal supply severely limits the ability to deliver the vaccine, New Yorkers are encouraged to remain patient and are advised not to attend vaccination sites without an appointment. New York’s vast distribution network and large population of more than 4 million eligible individuals in this priority group decrease the supply of vaccine from the federal government, which is reaching a rate of approximately 300,000 doses per week. As such, qualified New Yorkers must be prepared to receive an appointment date within 14 weeks in the future.
“After ten long months, expanding eligibility for new New Yorkers to start making their COVID-19 vaccination plan is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Governor Cuomo. “The vaccine is the weapon that will end the war and, as we continue to prioritize healthcare professionals according to the need for hospital capacity, New York is proud to have reached this milestone and we strongly encourage all newly qualified to schedule their appointment free vaccination as soon as possible. ”
According to New York’s expanded eligibility, the following individuals will now be eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment:
- Individuals aged 75 and over
- First aid agencies and first aid staff
Fire Service
State fire service, including firefighters and investigators (professionals and volunteers)
Local fire service, including firefighters and investigators (professionals and volunteers)
Police and Investigators
State police, including soldiers
State Park Police, DEC Police, Forest Rangers
SUNY Police
Sheriffs’ Offices
County police departments and police districts
City, town and village police departments
Transit or other public authority police departments
State field investigators, including Department of Motor Vehicles, State Correction Commission, Justice Center, Department of Financial Services, Inspector General, Department of Taxes and Finance, Office of Services for Children and Family and State Beverage Authority
- Public Safety Communications
Emergency communication team and public security service point, including dispatchers and technicians
- Other Sworn and Civil Personnel
Court Officers
Other police or peace officers
Support or Civil Staff from any of the above services, agencies or facilities
State Department of Corrections and Community Supervisory Personnel, including corrective and probation officers
Local correctional facilities, including correction officers
Local probation departments, including probation officers
State juvenile detention and rehabilitation facilities
Local juvenile detention and rehabilitation facilities
P-12 school or school district faculty or staff (includes all teachers, substitute teachers, student teachers, school administrators, paraprofessional staff and support staff, including bus drivers)
Contractors working at a P-12 school or school district (including hired bus drivers)
Face-to-face university instructors
Licensed, registered, approved or legally exempt nursery staff or support staff
Licensed, registered, approved or legally exempt child care providers
Face-to-face university instructors
- Public-facing grocery workers
Airline and airport employees
Passenger rail employees
Subway and mass transit staff (ie MTA, LIRR, Metro North, NYC Transit, interstate transit)
Ferry employees
Port authority officials
Public bus employee
- Individuals living in a homeless shelter in which to sleep, bathe or eat accommodation must be shared with individuals and families who are not part of their same household
Individuals who work (paid or unpaid) in a homeless shelter where they sleep, bathe or eat should be shared by individuals and families who are not part of the same household, in a position where there is potential for interaction with the residents of the shelter
Up to this point, 2.1 million New Yorkers in priority group 1A have been eligible to receive the vaccine. This includes medical care geared towards the patient and other critical hospital professionals, elderly people living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities and people with disabilities living in congregated settings. Distribution locations were established directly in hospitals, FQHCs and emergency care clinics to provide direct access to all eligible individuals. To further accelerate the vaccination rate for priority health workers and start vaccinating essential group 1B workers and people over 75, New York has established a network of distribution sites that will complement the work being done in hospitals to prevent any hospital from getting overwhelmed.
This new network will use medical offices, federally qualified health centers, county health departments, outpatient centers and pharmacies to obtain doses in the arms of qualified New Yorkers. More than 1,200 pharmacies have already committed to participate in this network, with almost 500 scheduled to go online this week. Service providers across the state will begin accepting vaccination reservations on Monday, January 11, when a centralized state website goes online that lists nearby providers where appointments can be scheduled. Pharmacies will receive vaccinations for New Yorkers aged 75 and over, while hospitals will continue to vaccinate 1st health workers, and local health departments and union-organized efforts will serve essential workers in 1b.
In addition, the Department of Health is setting up 20 mass distribution locations across the state in the coming weeks to support all categories of eligibility. Opening on Wednesday:
- Jacob K. Javits Convention Center (NYC)
- Westchester County Convention Center (Westchester County – in partnership with County Health Dept. and Westchester Medical Center)
- State Fairgrounds (Onondaga County – in partnership with County Health Dept.)
Additional sites will be launched in the coming days.
Under this expanded vaccination network, hospitals will continue to prioritize unvaccinated members of 1A: healthcare professionals. In addition, large union groups, including, but not limited to, police, firefighters and educators, were asked to organize plans to vaccinate their members as far as possible, incorporating coordination and partnership with local health departments. This will allow other providers in the chain to focus on New Yorkers over 75, representing the largest group in 1B with approximately 1.4 million people.